Snow again!!

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013

It's not often that we get snow here in the High Desert. Miraculously, we've been blessed with snow two times in less than a month! Here are a few photos I was able to get at Venner Park this morning. By noon, most of the snow had melted, but it sure was beautiful while it lasted. Enjoy these pics!

 

Minutes from 1/28 Board Meeting (approved 2/25/13)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT

REGULAR MEETING

January 28th, 2013

President Jacobs opened the meeting at 6:01 PM and Director Stapp led the group in the flag salute.  Directors Jacobs, King, Schendel, Stapp, and Wilkey were all present.  Guests in attendance included Barstow Heights Residents, Norm and Tricia Sheppeard, John Heald of Unique Landscaping, and Rich Harpole, City Council Member of the City of Barstow.

Mr. Rich Harpole was the first to comment.  He stated that he had read the Minutes from our October meeting online, and was concerned that we had told our residents that annexation into the City of Barstow was unlikely because so many residents are opposed to it.  Mr. Harpole wants to make sure our residents have more information to consider and came to start a dialog with us to further discuss the possibility.  While those residents who are opposed are concerned about possible zoning changes, sewer hook-up issues, and property tax increases, he assured us that these fears are unfounded and that the City would work with us to make sure the benefits to our community would outweigh any potential drawbacks.  He named a few reasons why annexation could be beneficial to us and wants to continue discussing the possibility with us in the future.  Director Schendel respectfully offered his objections to annexation and President Jacobs also advised Mr. Harpole to talk further with the City Manager, Curt Mitchell, about making more detailed information about annexation available to us so we can discuss it further.  Another guest, Mr. Norm Sheppeard, also expressed his concerns about additional costs residents might get stuck with and questioned whether the sewer system would be adequate to handle the increase.  Mr. Harpole expressed his desire to continue discussing these issues with us again soon, and needed to leave the meeting at 6:22 PM to attend another meeting.

Mrs. Tricia Sheppeard was back to update us about the Smoke Tree again.  She brought a phone number along for us to use to call for pricing and availability.  The board acknowledged that Mr. John Heald was also attending to discuss his Landscaping Bid with us and that perhaps he could help us get some Smoke Trees to add to the upcoming Landscaping project that is in the works for Venner Park.

President Jacobs requested a motion on the Consent Items.  Director Schendel motioned to accept the Minutes of the November 26th, 2012 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for November and December of 2012 as presented.  Director King seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence was offered for review.  Director Jacobs highlighted three items in the Correspondence folder including:  1). The statements from Desert Community Bank that showed that approximately $1000 worth of interest had been earned on our accounts over the past year, 2). A letter from the County that shows our allocated tax revenue for FY 2012-13 will be $57,855, and 3). A letter from SDRMA informing us that a longevity distribution of $175 would be credited to our account this year because we have been participating in their Property/Liability Program for 25 years.

H Street Park was addressed.  The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed.  Director Stapp reported that the Ground Squirrel problem continues to be under control and that he only found one hole that continues to need re-filling occasionally.  The Board is still waiting for more information from Town & County Tree Service regarding Bid 12-03 Tree Maintenance.  The Secretary was directed to send Mr. Hilarides an invitation to the next board meeting so the board can ask questions and get more information from him.  The Secretary was also directed to order a new Rules and Regulations Sign for H Street Park, as that is still needed there as well.

Venner Park was addressed.  The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed.  The gopher is back and leaving mounds in the grass again.  The Secretary was directed to ask Mark Gerardi for any suggestions he can offer to help us to remedy our gopher problem.

Proposal 12-04 (Landscaping at Venner) was reviewed and the Board discussed the Landscaping project with Mr. John Heald of Unique Landscaping.  His company was the only one to offer a proposal to do the work and had submitted a detailed estimate with photos and rock samples.  The Board reviewed his estimate and the sketch of the proposed landscaping layout.  The Board asked for further clarification about how much rock would be needed and Mr. Heald responded that it would be approximately 85 tons.  The Board was especially pleased with the idea of using wall blocks to create a retaining wall along the top edge of the volleyball court and asked Mr. Heald if he could look into the additional costs of adding more sand and new wood to re-furbish the nearby Horse Shoe Pit area also.  Director Wilkey suggested having a more defined border of some kind to separate the Volleyball Court from the Horse Shoe Pits as well.  Director Wilkey also mentioned that he would need to abstain from any vote pertaining to the hiring of Mr. Heald since his daughter is currently dating Mr. Heald’s son (conflict of interest code). Mr. and Mrs. Sheppeard also let the Board know that they have some large decorative rocks they would also be willing to donate to the Landscaping project.

The finalized spiral-bound copy of the District’s FYE 6-30-12 Audit was reviewed again.  President Jacobs motioned to approve of the final copy of the Audit.  Director Stapp seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

The Website/blog was discussed briefly. The Secretary informed the Board that there had been increased traffic on the Facebook page and that we currently have 59 subscribers who have “liked” the page.  Residents have been utilizing the page to communicate about and help warn each other of the three dangerous dogs that had been on the loose in the area.  The secretary was excited that so many have now discovered this new way for residents to communicate so easily with each other and hopes it will continue to be a source that can strengthen and unify our neighborhoods.

The General Manager reported that things have been going much smoother at the office and that she was feeling more confident after having had a little extra time (no Board Meeting to prepare for in December) that helped her accomplish a lot more of the tasks on her list.

President Jacobs requested Directors’ reports.  There were none.  President Jacobs did direct the Secretary to make copies of the sketch of the proposed Landscaping layout for all of the Directors to have to study before the next Board Meeting so some decisions about the project can be made.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be paid.  She indicated there were none.  Director King motioned to pay the bills as presented.  Director Wilkey seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.  There was no new business to address.

The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 25th, 2013 at 6:00 PM.  The meeting adjourned at 7:21 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jen Rubio

Secretary

Agenda for 2/25 Board Meeting

A G E N D A

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT

REGULAR MEETING

February 25, 2013 - 6:00 PM

 1.  Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.  Roll Call and Recognition of Guests

3.  Public Comments/Questions

4.  Consent Items:

                        Minutes – January 28, 2013

                        Financial Report – January 2013

5.  Correspondence

6.  Form 700

7.  Parks:              H Street:              Safety Check List, Ground Squirrels, General Improvements,

                                Tree Maintenance (Bid 12-03)

                                New Rules & Regulations Sign

Venner:                   Safety Check List, Gophers, General Improvements,

                                Landscaping (Proposal 12-04)

                                                                        Parking Lots (Bid 13-01)

 8.  Safety Report

9.  Website/blog - BarstowHeights.blogspot.com

     Activity on the Facebook page

10.  General Manager’s Report

11.  Directors’ Reports

12.  Bills:    Edison - $112.57          Terminix - $34.00          Verizon - $70.63

13.  New Business

14. Executive Session – Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

15. Adjournment

Snow, beautiful Snow...

...at Barstow Heights Park!

(located on the corner of Rimrock Rd. and H Street)

Who wants to build a snowman?!!

Minutes from 11/26 Board Meeting (approved 1/28/13)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT

REGULAR MEETING

November 26th, 2012

President Jacobs opened the meeting at 6:00 PM and Director Schendel led the group in the flag salute.  Directors Jacobs, King, Schendel, and Stapp were all present.  Director Wilkey had not yet returned from out of town with his family for the Thanksgiving holiday. There were no other guests in attendance.

President Jacobs requested a motion on the Consent Items.  Director Schendel motioned to accept the Minutes of the October 22nd, 2012 Meeting, along with the Financial Report for October 2012 as presented.  Director King seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence was offered for review.

H Street Park was addressed.  The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed.  The Board requested that future Safety Check Lists be received and printed out by the Secretary sooner so they can be included in the packets that are mailed to each Board member the week before an upcoming meeting.  President Jacobs reported that we currently appear to be winning against the Ground Squirrels, as he had only found one new hole South of the office compound and that there should be enough cartridges left over to continue to keep them under control next year.  Director Stapp also reported finding advertisements for a bounce house business stapled on multiple trees in the park.  The Secretary was directed to call the bounce house business to kindly ask them not to leave them again.  The large staples left in our trees could be considered vandalism and because this type of advertising is not allowed on public property they needed to be removed according to park regulations.  The Secretary should advise them that this was not a good advertising investment for them anyway since the papers were soaked by the sprinklers, scattered all over the ground by the wind, and most ended up being thrown in the trash by the groundskeepers.

Venner Park was addressed.  The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed.  The Secretary was directed to talk with Mark Gerardi again to ask him if we need to order any of the top caps that are missing from the South playground equipment for them to use as replacements.

The Bid Sheets for General Improvements were reviewed.  President Jacobs requested that future Bid Sheets also be included in the mailed out packets to each Board member sent out the week before an upcoming meeting to allow them extra time to study them.  Bid 12-01 was discussed.  The Board expressed their desire to just take care of the Horse Shoe Pit repairs themselves.  The Secretary offered to ask her son’s Boy Scout Troop if they would be interested in doing the labor to fulfill service hours that they are often in need of.  The Board agreed that it was a good idea.  Director Stapp motioned that the Board cover the costs of supplying the materials needed for the project as well as make a small donation to the troop for their efforts.  Director King seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.  The Secretary was directed to let Director Schendel know if for some reason the troop is unable to get the job done, so Director Schendel can start doing the work himself.

The sheet for Proposal 12-04 (Landscaping) was reviewed and the Board directed the Secretary to change the due date for all proposals to be submitted to her by Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 and get it sent out right away to the five local Landscaping businesses that she had found and listed for them.

The Board discussed the Conflict of Interest Code and agreed that no changes are needed.  The Secretary was directed to notify the County that we did review it again, as well as apologize that we had to be late in approving it, and that no changes are necessary at this time.

The District’s FYE 6-30-12 Audit was reviewed.  Director Schendel motioned to accept the Barstow Heights CSD FYE 6-30-12 audit as presented.  Director Stapp seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.  President Jacobs signed the management letter regarding the Audit for the Secretary to mail back to the Auditor, Mr. David Whitford Jr., CPA, as he had requested.

The Website/blog was discussed briefly. The Secretary informed the Board that it had recently been updated to include the Fall/Winter Newsletter that was mailed to approximately 600 residents on November 16th, 2012.  President Jacobs directed the Secretary to re-check her mailing list for duplicates before the next mailing goes out because he had received two Newsletters by mail.

The Board reviewed the letter submitted by the General Manager/Secretary regarding her request for vacation days during the week of December 24th-28th, 2012.  Director King motioned to grant her request for those days to count as her one week of paid vacation for the year.  Director Schendel seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.  The Secretary also expressed her interest in attending a Board Secretary/Clerk Conference hosted by the California Special District’s Association in Anaheim, California on February 28th and March 1st, 2013.  The Board agreed that since she is still somewhat new to the job, the additional training would be helpful.  President Jacobs motioned that the Board cover the costs ($500 registration fee plus gas for driving and hotel stay for one night) to send the Secretary to the Conference.  Director King seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

President Jacobs requested Directors’ reports.  President Jacobs directed the Secretary to have the packets that include the Agenda, Minutes, and Financial Statements for the Director’s ready to mail a little sooner next time (by the Wednesday before the next Board Meeting).

President Jacobs requested that the Board of Directors go into an Executive Session at 7:04 PM to evaluate the new Secretary on her job performance and to discuss with them any challenges and concerns she’s had over the past six months of her employment.

The Board reconvened to Regular Session at 7:20 PM.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be paid.  She indicated there were none.    Director King motioned to pay the bills as presented.  Director Stapp seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.  There was no new business to address.

The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 28th, 2013 at 6:00 PM.  The meeting adjourned at 7:24 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jen Rubio

Secretary

Agenda for 1/28 Board Meeting

A G E N D A

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT

REGULAR MEETING

January 28, 2013 - 6:00 PM

1.  Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.  Roll Call and Recognition of Guests

3.  Public Comments/Questions

4.  Consent Items:

                        Minutes – November 26, 2012

                        Financial Report – November and December 2012

 

5.  Correspondence

6.  Parks:             H Street:              Safety Check List, Ground Squirrels, General Improvements,

                                Tree Maintenance (Bid 12-03)

 Venner:                Safety Check List, Gophers, General Improvements,

                                Horseshoe Pits

                                Landscaping (Proposal 12-04)

7.  Review the Audit (the final bound copy of Financial Statements)

8.  Website/blog - BarstowHeights.blogspot.com

      Activity on the Facebook page

 

9.  General Manager’s Report

10.  Directors’ Reports

11.  Bills:    Edison - $97.40 & $107.93        Terminix - $34.00 & $34.00      Verizon - $89.49 & $73.13

                     C.S.D.A. - $500.00 (Board Secretary/Clerk Conference)

 

12.  New Business

13. Executive Session – Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

14. Adjournment

Special Alert - BEWARE of dangerous dogs!

Several Barstow Heights residents have been sharing this information on Facebook and we want to continue warning people about this until the problem is taken care of:

It has been reported that we have a pack of 3 dogs (2 pit bulls and a light brown mutt) loose in the Barstow Heights area. They have been a nuisance in our neighborhoods for nearly a month now. They have killed a pigmy goat and one jumped a fence to kill a pet rabbit. They have most recently attacked a miniature horse that suffered extensive wounds and needs hospitalization for a few days. Numerous residents have reported that they have seen these dogs jump 6-foot tall fences and get into their garbage cans. Animal Control has been setting up traps for them for several weeks with no success. Be on the lookout and if you see them please call Animal Control right away - they are fully aware of them as they have been notified multiple times, but just cannot seem to track them down.

The number to reach Animal Control is 800-472-5609.
It would be a very good idea to save this number to your cell phone now so you will be prepared if and when you spot them.

These dogs have been aggressive towards people, so please be smart and do not approach them. Keep your small pets inside and especially keep a close eye on your kids!